


Just KIDding

by Shizuna610



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Chapter 3 is also a songfic, Confession, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Happily Ever After, Heists, KID has a bad day, KID worries, Kabe-Don, Kid Heist, M/M, Post-Canon, Shin-chan messed up, Shinichi has an epiphany, irregular updates, rivals to friends to lovers, slightly angsty, was supposed to be a oneshot, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-10-04 08:05:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10272044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shizuna610/pseuds/Shizuna610
Summary: Shinichi was beyond annoyed. Why did he have to go to some boring party? His mom could take care of herself just fine. It was bad enough he had to lay low and couldn’t return to his old life already; now he had to attend some rich guy’s party…..in disguise…..simply because his mother had thrown a diva tantrum about wanting to see one of KID’s heists in person.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shana_Fujioka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shana_Fujioka/gifts).
  * Inspired by [KaiShin/ShinKai Prompts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8635951) by [Shana_Fujioka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shana_Fujioka/pseuds/Shana_Fujioka). 



> Inspired by AO3 user Shana_Fujioka's prompt

Ocean’s Heart was a huge and gorgeous sapphire that was said to have once been a part of a pirate’s hoard. The new owner, Kaname Maeda was the owner of a huge business and had bought the jewel at an auction in France. He planned to gift to his wife on the lavish birthday party he was throwing at the Beika Hotel’s ballroom. Unsurprisingly, he had received a notice from KID the very day he set foot in Japan after his France trip. 

Kaito was currently going about checking the escape routes and forming back up plans. Inspector Nakamori and the task force were in full alert and only select officers were allowed inside the hall….once inside they weren’t allowed back out. Looks like the task force was doing fine without the Kid Killer to assist them. But Kaito missed his favourite detective nonetheless….

It had been a huge blow to Kaito when one of his heists had not been graced by the presence of the familiar child detective. It was then that Kaito realized how much Conan’s presence at the heists meant to him and how much he enjoyed going toe to toe with the child regardless of his age (He didn’t miss those killer soccer balls though).

When he realized his favourite detective was none other than Kudo Shinichi, the Heisei Holmes and the Great High School Detective of the East…..a lot of things started making more sense. While he still had no idea as to why and how the detective ended up in this predicament, he decided it was not his place to question. After all, he was just a thief… Kaito decided not to pry, but did some basic research on Conan’s surroundings just in case. He was glad he did that as he managed to save Tantei-kun’s cover being blown in just the nick of time. 

While arranging for his latest heist, he realized Conan was no longer to be seen anywhere and he had panicked a bit (a lot)….it had been a week and there was no news about the boy. He was worried sick, what had happened? He knew there were some people targeting Kudo Shinichi…..had they managed to get him? 

Kaito had been very frustrated at the ill-timed discovery. Had he found out about this earlier, he wouldn’t have sent out a heist notice. It was too late now and the target would probably never be in public again after this event. His hands were tied with the heist and he didn’t want to half-ass either the heist or searching for Tantei-kun. He had just decided to wrap up the heist without the usual fooling around and get to Tantei-kun’s case as soon as possible.

Kaito had planned to enter in as one of the officers but that wasn’t an option anymore now that Inspector Nakamori seemed to be even more insistent with the disguise checks today. Going in as an invited guest was next to impossible considering the amount of effort and planning it required. Given the time, he could have planned it out properly and managed to do so, but he’d used every ounce of extra time to look into Tantei-kun’s situation…only to turn up empty handed….so much for not half-assing his work.

The only related thing he could find was the news piece on the takedown of a large criminal organization that the press had labeled as the Black Organization. A little bit more research had revealed that this was indeed the same people who were after Kudo Shinichi but there was no mention of the detective’s name in the article or anywhere else in relation to the Organization. The one thing that really disturbed him was the large number of causalities on the law enforcement’s side regarding the whole mess.

_Could it be that Tantei-kun was…. already….de-_ he shook his head before that thought could completely form. _No. Tantei-kun was definitely alive and out there. He had to be._ Kaito had to think positive. _Kudo Shinichi is alive. Conan is alive. He is fine._ Kaito firmly told himself before focusing on the situation at hand.  
Right now…. he needed a more impromptu disguise. Then it hit him. The easiest disguise in his collection that came with a ‘Free Access’ pass to almost anywhere: Kudo Shinichi. 

His usual enthusiasm for a heist was nowhere to be found as he quickly ditched the police officer disguise and got to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Shinichi was beyond annoyed. Why did he have to go to some boring party? His mom could take care of herself just fine. It was bad enough he had to lay low and couldn’t return to his old life already (“I said, one. Whole. Month. Are we clear Kudo-kun?” Haibara had asked in that softly dangerous tone and Shinichi had nodded his head so fast he had thought it would pop off his shoulders.); now he had to attend some rich guy’s party…..in disguise…..simply because his mother had thrown a diva tantrum about wanting to see one of KID’s heists in person. He glared in her direction as he spotted her chatting away with a group of people. She smiled when their gaze met and before Shinichi could escape he was being dragged into the group of people.

“Ah Minako-chan! You can’t just stand alone with that sour expression at a party! Come on let me introduce you!” she said smilingly.

Yes, Minako. That was the name his mother was using for him because nothing can ever be straightforward and simple with Kudo Yukiko. Of course, she had to disguise him as a woman. (“But Shin-chan, it would hide you even better! And Agasa-hakase went through the trouble of making you a voice changing choker specially for the occasion. You can’t let that go to waste!” Haibara , the little shit, had only encouraged her and the two of them had cornered him with looks that promised hell on earth if he didn’t submit.)

Shinichi let himself be dragged away because he had no strength to argue with her and as it is, he wasn’t running away anywhere in the heels he was wearing. How did women wear these torture devices for hours without a care? He felt like he was walking around on stilts all the time. He tuned out his mother’s chattering after acknowledging all the people introduced to him with a small smile and a nod. 

He let his gaze wander as he tried deducing things about the people around him. He wondered if KID was already among the party guests. There was plenty of time left until the heist but from what Shinichi had seen as Conan, KID planned out things in advance and tended to be there long before the heist; sometimes even before the task force that was hell bent on catching him. 

He did enjoy chasing after the thief….yes he could admit that much to himself. At first, he had gone after KID with almost the same intensity of contempt and hatred he held for the perpetrators of the crimes he usually solved. But he had soon realized that murder and robbery were on completely different levels and two heists later he had realized that KID’s heists were a different story all together. The unusual behavior of returning the jewels he stole surprised him to no end and the ‘no one gets hurt policy’ was truly a breath of fresh air after chasing bloodthirsty murderers.

But what surprised him the most was the thief’s attitude while dealing with him as Conan. He had been the same as everyone else during the first two minutes of their meeting at the hotel rooftop: patronizing and talking down to him; but the attitude had flipped the moment he realized Conan wasn’t an ordinary ten-year old. And when KID called him “Tantei-kun” it was never mocking or sarcastic. Shinichi knew he completely meant it and had respected Conan as an equal rival even before figuring out his identity.

And even after figuring out his identity, the only change in his behavior was an occasional “Meitantei” thrown into their conversations. That’s it. No shocked blabbering, no questioning or prying, no attempting to poke around to find out the reason behind the shrunken detective, no blackmailing……..it was surprising, but Shinichi had decided not to question his luck. The few times KID disguised as Shinichi were really annoying but it was a small price to pay. 

Suddenly he noticed a small commotion at the entrance and a lot of guests started chattering excitedly. 

“What….”

“Oh my gods did you see…”

“….famous…”

“So handsome….”

“I thought he was missing….”

“….get an autograph….”

“….do you think…”

He had figured it was some famous person and wouldn’t have paid any further attention if he hadn’t heard his mother’s shocked gasp of “Sh- Minako-chan! Look! It’s Shin-chan!”

What was wrong with his mother? He was right here, wasn’t he? Did she hit her head some- 

Shinichi spat out some very un-ladylike words when he saw the center of attraction was……him. ‘Kudo Shinichi’ was being praised and interacted with by fans surrounding him while he tried to navigate through them with both hands in a palms turned outward “now,now be patient ” gesture.

Shinichi borrowed something from Yukiko’s purse and tossed it back to her, “Wait! Minako-chan! Wha-“ then she realized what Shinichi had taken and a smile spread on her lips. _Oooh, this is going to be very interesting_ , she thought as she decided to follow him and watch his next move better. As Shinichi made his way over to the impostor, he let out a quiet growl which swore vengeance “KID” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Kaito’s cheek stung a bit from where Inspector Nakamori had pulled on it at the entrance, but other than that he was doing well. Everyone seemed thrilled to be graced by the presence of the famous detective and nobody seemed to suspect him for an impostor. The only gamble with this disguise was running into someone Shinichi knew, but that didn’t seem to be a problem.

He got distracted when he saw a very pretty girl make her way towards him. She had amazing sapphire blue eyes with a clarity and sharpness that made his target for today look like a dull stone. Her long and slightly wavy hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her dress was quite modest compared to the other party goers: a simple white tunic style dress and black leggings. Her jewelry wasn’t flashy either, just a simple gold corded belt to hold the dress and a matching choker around her neck.

Her eyes were full of hope when she neared him and that’s when it struck him that something was wrong…..did this girl know Shinichi? Shit. Wait, who was she? Conan never met up with any girl who looked like this. And Conan had managed to keep tabs on whoever was important to Shinichi Kudo some way or the other. Was she just a fan after all?

“Shinichi? …Shinichi!” she called out and while some guests looked at her curiously, they decided it was their cue to leave. _‘No No No don’t go. Stupid guests. How do I handle this’_

The girl was in front of him now. She somehow managed to look pretty even while frowning. She looked really upset and _Oh God Tantei-kun, what did you do to piss off such a pretty girl._

“When did you come back?!” The girl shouted at him, her voice trembling and on the verge of tears, “Didn’t you promise to call me, as soon as you returned? You even proposed to me and we planned to get married right after your return!” 

Kaito’s brain grinded to a halt at that. _Tantei-kun did what?! Wait…then what about his precious Ran-neechan?_ Oh shit this was worse than he had thought.  
“Shinichi! Are you even listening to me?! Answer me goddamit! Why didn’t you contact me? I love you and have been waiting for you and you… you… how dare you!”

Kaito could see the tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. _Oh no….oh boy…_

“Do you not love me any longer?” she choked out, “ W…was it a lie? Was it just a game for you? I… I… I hate you!!”

She turned around and fled before Kaito could react. What was he supposed to do? Should he go after her? Before he could decide, a sharp voice cracked across the room like a whip, “Shin-chan!”

He turned around and found himself face to face with Kudo Yukiko. Why did Shinichi know a famous actress like…..wait…. Kudo Yukiko…..as in Kudo Shinichi…..were the same Kudo. He groaned internally….he was about to get lectured by Tantei-kun’s mom? This was weird on so many levels. Oh God, she looked very upset with him (well, upset with Shinichi)

“Shin-chan, how could you?! I thought you’d already contacted her! Do you have any idea how distraught Minako-chan was? She thought you might have died or something! Reflect on your behavior young man! I don’t blame her if she breaks up with you after this! Hmph…men these days….I had hoped at least my son would be different but they’re all the same….I’m going to go console that poor girl.”

And with that she spun around and walked away taking the same path as the girl, Minako, had taken earlier. Kaito was left behind staring dumbstruck as his brain tried to process this new volley of information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Shinichi mentally thanked his mother for picking a modest outfit in which he could easily move in and didn’t need to worry about flashing someone accidentally. The leggings were comfortable and while the lower part of the dress wasn’t that much of a hindrance, he knew it was actually a skirt like fabric attached with the belt and could be discarded with it in case he needed more movement. 

He had walked outside the ballroom to one of the large gazebos in the outdoor garden. Yukiko had followed soon after and the mother-son duo had taken one look at each other before bursting out into laughter.

“Oh God, kaa-san did you see his face?!” Shinichi laughed and wiped off a tear from the corner of his eye.

Yukiko grinned, “The poor boy looked like he was about to have a heart attack. I’m so proud of you Shin-chan! I feel a bit sorry for him though”

Shinichi raised an eyebrow at his mom.

“Ok not really….” she admitted as she giggled. 

“Here” Shinichi tossed her the small bottle of fake tears he’d borrowed earlier, “Why do you even carry that around?”

Yukiko shrugged as she caught it and placed it back in her purse, “Never hurts to be prepared. Besides you did manage to put it to good use”

“I wish I could have videotaped the whole thing” Shinichi sighed. 

Yukiko grinned.

“Kaa-san?”

She held up her phone, “I’ll mail it to you later”

Shinichi smirked, “Remind me to never underestimate you….. I wonder what he’ll do now? Do you think he’ll apologize or something after the heist?”

That’s when they heard the sound of someone rushing down the gravel path to the gazebo and looked outside to see KID still in his disguise running towards them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Kaito was sooo dead. If Tantei-kun found out about this, he was going to kill him. _If he’s alive that is_ , a tiny voice piqued up from the back of his mind. Kaito told it to shut up and concentrated on this new problem that was Tantei-kun’s fiancée. He wondered if they knew about Shinichi’s whereabouts. Did they think he was still away solving cases the way everyone else who knew Shinichi had thought back when he was Conan? _Focus Bakaito!_ He shook his head and returned to the problem at hand.

Oh God, he’d better fix this somehow. He thought about apologizing after the heist but that would probably be too late and what if Minako decided to leave the party or something? He looked down at his watch….he still had about twenty minutes to go. He quickly contacted Jii and asked him to do the remaining checks on his set up while rushing out after Minako and Yukiko.

He found them standing in a gazebo and talking. Thank god, they hadn’t left the place. Relieved, he rushed towards the gazebo and saw both ladies look at him as though waiting for his next move.

Seeing as how he was Kudo Shinichi and not himself, Kaito had zero regret about butchering Tantei-kun’s image as he dropped into dogeza on the gazebo floor with a loud, “Forgive me Minako-chan!”

Silence. Oh god….were they still pissed off at him?…he hoped he hadn’t ruined Tantei-kun’s relationship permanently.

When he looked up with what was his best ‘kicked puppy dog’ face, he saw Yukiko and Minako looking amused and bursting into laughter when they saw his expression.  
Kaito frowned. Had he done something stupid? He ran a quick mental check: His disguise and voice was fine, he had apologized on Tantei-kun’s behalf for being a jerk and had dropped into dogeza for god’s sake. Wait….why was Minako laughing? Wasn’t she upset about her fiancé not contacting her just a few minutes back?

“I…I’m…what is…” Kaito began in Shinichi’s voice.

Minako grinned in a rather familiar manner as she took off her choker before addressing Kaito in a very familiar drawl, “Idiot, that’s not even a proper dogeza”

Kaito’s mouth hung open…that...was that…”Tantei-kun?!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Shinichi grinned as he savoured the thief’s dumbstruck expression. His lips fell to a more neutral line as KID slowly rose from the dogeza pose, his fringe hiding his eyes. 

“KID?”

He had no time to react before he was tackled in a hug. 

Kaitou KID was hugging him.

Shinichi blinked and stared at his mother who looked equally puzzled. He was about to push KID off thinking the thief was tampering with something on his person when he noticed KID’s shoulders shaking as the thief’s hands clenched the fabric of his dress. 

Was…KID…..crying or….laughing?

“KID what-” He began again only to be interrupted by KID’s voice.

“I thought you were dead.” KID choked out in a voice that was probably his own. He pulled away from Shinichi but refused to meet his eyes. A heartbreakingly sad smile tugged at his lips for a moment before smoothing out into KID’s usual poker face as he continued in that hushed whisper, “Conan disappeared without any warning and…and the news about the Black Organisation going down…and the casualities…..”

Shinichi forgot how to breathe. KID had been worried about him? For once, Shinichi had no answer to toss back at the thief.

KID let out a deep exhale and looked up with a smirk that was probably the fakest one Shinichi had ever seen, “The dress looks good on you Tantei-kun.”  
Then, with a (fake) laugh, “Well as nice as it was to meet you and the oba-san, I can’t be late for my own heist”

“KID wait-“ Shinichi began but KID dropped a smoke bomb and disappeared before either he or his mother could react.

Shinichi stared at the spot where KID had stood. He needed to talk with KID. And the only way to do that would be to catch him at the heist. His mind was still reeling from KID’s behavior……while KID had shown signs of favouring him above the task force and other detectives….Shinichi had never really read to deeply into his actions.

“Shin-chan! He called me an oba-san!” Yukiko exclaimed angrily.

Shinichi sighed as he rubbed his forehead, “Not now kaa-san… I have a thief to catch”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy!

Shinichi thought of following after KID but discarded the thought as he stepped outside. It would be pointless… besides, there wasn’t much time left for the heist.

“Shin-chan? What now?” Yukiko asked following her son outside. She looked a bit dazed but he couldn’t blame her when he was feeling pretty much the same way.

His eyes scanned the surrounding gardens and landed on a pile of clothes lying discarded on an ornamental shrub; it was the same clothes KID had been wearing. Even the shoes were tossed under the bush. KID left the disguise behind? Didn’t he plan to get away as Shinichi? That would be the easiest escape route ….. but then again, not so much now that the real Shinichi was here too. But then how? Should he go to the heist? He was pretty sure KID’s next choice of escape would be the roof. Inspector Nakamori hadn’t managed to get permission for helicopters after the last heist had ended being a bit too heavy on the Department’s budget. But he had to go now if he wanted a chance to confront KID…….

He still couldn’t get his mind off KID hugging him like that. He felt his cheeks colour at the memory off the KID’s thin frame wrapped around himself. KID had smelt of a weird combination of that sweet smell all cosmetics seemed to have and a slight woody musk that reminded him of the wood and cloth that lingered on an auditorium’s stage. Shinichi shook his head trying to get his thoughts ordered. What had gotten into the thief? The more rational part of him reminded him that if he didn’t intercept the thief fast enough, he wasn’t getting any answers…

Besides he had other details to worry about too. What was he going to do about this Minako personality? He had created enough impromptu detectives during his time as Conan, he did not need the police scratching their heads over red herrings like this. But he didn’t have anything to change into and-

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Yukiko was starting to get annoyed. There were ten minutes left to the heist and Shin-chan was still reeling from the hug. As much as she wanted to know what was going on here ( _‘Wasn’t KID supposed to be older? This seemed like a different person from whom Yuusaku dealt with…an apprentice carrying on the legacy?’_ ), she figured it could wait until after the heist. Since people thought Shinichi Kudo was already there, she saw no point in keeping up the Minako disguise…it would only obstruct Shinichi, the boy could barely walk in those heels. 

Moving into action, she gathered the disguise KID ( _‘Oba-san? Who’s an oba-san?! I’ll show that brat one day’_ ) left behind and tossed the clothes at Shinichi, breaking whatever train wreck of a thought the boy was following, “Shin-chan go change into these and head for the roof…..that is where KID will go now right?”  
Shinichi caught the clothes and looked at her “Yes but-“

Yukiko waved a hand impatiently, “Don’t worry about ‘Minako’. I can always claim it was KID and his assistant disguised as me and Minako to stir up trouble. Now go!”

Shinichi’s slight look of surprise vanished, quickly replaced by determination as he took off his heels and hurried away with the change of clothes to find a place to change and head for the roof.

Yukiko smiled as she eyed the entrance to the ballroom. Time to put her acting skills to use again. _‘Oh dear….the cops are going to freak out. Inspector Nakamori is going to get an aneurysm one of these days’_ , she thought as she walked up to the entrance behaving as though she’d just arrived for the party .

She walked in with a cheerful smile as though unaware of the chaos she had just caused (“What are you talking about officers? I just arrived here! And I’ve never heard of this Minako person before! My Shin-chan is single!” Inspector Nakamori had turned deathly pale at her words then flushed an angry red and started barking orders at the task force).

She was making her way through the crowd when the lights suddenly went out. _’Finally’_ , she thought. As delighted as she was at the opportunity of having been a part of tonight’s unplanned chaos, she was going to sit back and enjoy the well-planned chaos KID was about to wreck. She had been looking forward to the heist after all….KID had better be on top of his game.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Shinichi tugged on the shoes and headed out, only stopping to wrap the Minako disguise in a black polythene bag and ditch it in a garbage can in the woman’s washroom. He texted his mother to make sure she’ll remember to collect it later and dashed for the stalled elevator without waiting for her reply. Aside from the fact that it was an unwanted red herring that could again give rise to the ‘Shinichi is KID’ theory, his mother would never stop nagging him about the dress and the accessories.

 _‘One month huh? Well I suppose three weeks is close enough’_ Shinichi shuddered when he considered Haibara’s rage at the unplanned reveal. _She’ll have to deal with it…...Besides, it’s KID’s fault!_

Shinichi frowned a bit as he let his gaze take in the city skyline from the glass elevator. KID had seemed genuinely worried about him. He was starting to feel rather guilty for having kept KID in the dark about the whole deal with the Black Organization. KID already knew Conan and Shinichi were the same person and that had been dangerous enough. He had also felt bad about involving KID in the mess on the Bell Tree Express. KID wasn’t a violent person…sure he was a thief, but a very open and flashy one and one who went out of his way to ensure his ‘no one gets hurt’ policy held. In all these years, any violence from KID’s side ( _cough_ stungun _cough_ ) was always a calculated move and never with an intent to kill. Involving someone like KID with the Black Organization wasn’t fair to him……

Suddenly, the lights went out. The heist had begun. The elevator thankfully had stopped near one of the top floors, so Shinichi could pry open the doors and climb to the floor above. The police guarding the stairs were in panic and rushing downstairs to the ballroom …. probably false orders from KID pretending to be Nakamori Shinichi’s mind helpfully supplied. Shinichi grabbed the opportunity to slip into the staircase leading to the rooftop; he should be able to talk with KID there.

He decided to explain to KID what had happened properly. Judging by the thief’s words when he hugged Shinichi, he already had a vague idea of what happened but had been terrified when Conan had “disappeared” and Shinichi hadn’t immediately appeared in the public again. Shinichi supposed he was the one to blame…..he had made sure to notify everyone who knew his identity as Conan about the plan and even brought in Jodie-sensei and the FBI into the “Conan is Shinichi” circle. 

Basically everyone except KID got the memo. Shinichi felt a fresh stab of guilt at the realization. He didn’t think the thief would care and he also had no idea how to contact an entity that elusive so he had let it be.

And now, he’d ended up causing more pain to someone who had been a ray of hope during his time as Conan. And as much as he hated to admit it, when he really thought about it, that annoying thief had been the one who’d truly empathized with him. Anyone and everyone else who did so only did it because they knew of his identity as Kudo Shinichi. Sure Jodie sensei took him seriously from the start….but her “taking seriously” had been stalking him and freaking him out a lot in general. KID on the other hand had just smirked and gone with the flow, like he dealt with freakishly intelligent and mature kids who went after him with high power soccer balls and anesthetic darts on a daily basis (honestly….for all Shinichi knew, he probably did….KID was a different league of crazy).

He had reached the entrance to the rooftop and just as he’d expected, the door swung open easily. Shinichi stepped out onto the cold rooftop and was instantly buffeted by the wind…. strong… but not so strong that it would prevent KID from using his glider. Closing the door, he looked around for a spot to stay out of the eyes of any police officers while he waited for KID…. although judging by the dummy that had just burst out of a lower floor, it seemed as though they were going to be occupied for a while.

Shinichi frowned as he checked the time, it had been barely ten minutes since the appointed time. A bit too early for the dummy….KID usually dragged it out more to make time for his theatrics. It was almost as though… he just wanted to get it over with.

The sound of the door opening behind startled him. KID?! That was definitely way earlier than usual…. but why? He quickly climbed the ladder on the side of the roof’s entrance and perched himself on the tiny roof next to a random satellite dish. He’d barely managed to pull his legs out of the way when KID strode out onto the rooftop.  
KID tensed for a moment and looked around as though looking for someone. Shinichi hoped he wouldn’t look up. Thankfully KID seemed to relax after a quick sweep of the roof top.

He headed for the edge and held up the Ocean’s Heart to the moonlight and loud cheering from his fans. He smiled as usual and announced his theft before dropping a smoke bomb to appear as though he’d vanished, but he had simply stepped down from the edge. But as he walked back towards the roof’s entrance, his lips tugged downwards into a sad and frustrated frown before smoothing out into a poker face which barely hid his disappointment.

But KID had managed to get the jewel …. in record time even, then why?

As he heard the cheer of the hundreds of eagerly waiting fans from below, the downward curve of KID’s mouth didn’t sit well with Shinichi at all. Someone who imparted joy to so many lives shouldn’t have to feel sad……KID was a mischievous and elusive entity. The smiling and charming phantom who stole hearts and jewels alike. The Magician Under the Moonlight who never failed to delight his audience as he laughed and performed miracles. 

Yet the person Shinichi saw now reminded him of himself from his time as Conan….putting on a mask for the rest of the world while trying to shoulder its burden….simply because he didn’t want anyone else to get involved or get hurt because of his situation.

_Why do you look so sad KID?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm...I might wrap it up in two more chapters...chapter three is in song fic form and already planned out. It shouldn't take more than a week to update....please look forward to it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry, I know I promised within a week but this chapter spiraled out of control... (>.<)

Kaito was about to jump off the opposite side when he remembered: his hang glider was torn. Kaito cursed; the one time Inspector Nakamori doesn’t actually get anywhere near him he manages to go tear his cape on a nail of all things. He held it up to his eyes to inspect the damage….not too big a hole but it would still be risky to use it. Jii-chan would have come in as back up immediately except…Kaito had really rushed through this heist, barely giving much time for Jii-chan to cover up the tracks neatly. He was probably still gathering any devices that didn’t self-destruct and after that head to the ‘news van’ they had come in to wait for Kaito to fly in a few blocks away from here. Jii-chan hadn’t seen his cape tear and he hadn’t notified Jii-chan yet. 

Today had been a rather bad day. He really wanted to get it over with already. He spoke into the mic to ask Jii-chan to come back to the building and meet up with him downstairs.

No response.

“Jii-chan?”

Oh great. Inspector Nakamori must have managed to mess up the system when he busted a few of the listening devices Kaito had planted. Or probably a technical failure. God knows his luck today was horrible.

Sighing, he summoned the dove he always brought with to his heist. The bird appeared with a poof and perched itself on his hand, gently pecking his lips in an affectionate greeting. Kaito instantly felt better. The dove was his favourite and one of his most intelligent ones. Naturally he named it after his favourite detective….Kaito had long since given up denying his feelings for Kudo Shinichi and only hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much when the detective re united with Mouri Ran.

“Nice to see you too Shin-chan” , he chuckled humourlessly as he quickly attached a message for the bird to convey to Jii-chan. The bird was clever and Kaito always made sure to leave a mark for it on whatever vehicle they used. A habit he picked from Hakuba. Kaito gagged at the thought…..what sort of a hellish day he must be having if he was relying on something he learnt from _Hakuba_ to save himself.

The bird cooed with a questioning tilt of its head. Kaito smiled inspite of himself, “Not you, Shin-chan” he reassured the dove before nudging it to fly, “Go on, find Jii-chan for me”

With a flutter of wings, his dove took off to deliver his message. Kaito sighed, this was definitely going to take some time. He decided to settle down by the door so he would know if someone tried to enter the roof. As he slid down to a sitting position with his back to the door, he realized Co- no… Kudo, he mentally corrected, had never shown up to the heist….though he remembered spotting Yukiko in the crowd.

Then he remembered how he had hugged the detective at the gazebo….in front of his mother of all people…..

Kaito let out some very creative cuss words before burying his face in his hands. Great….he’d managed to freak out the only rival who could truly keep up with his pace.  
He smelled nice though….coffee….his brain supplied helpfully

“Shut up”, he mumbled. This really was the last thing he needed. His stupid brain pointing out how attractive Kudo was. He was plenty aware of it thank you very much.  
But who knew he could pull off a dress and a female disguise so well! His brain continued.

Kaito let out a frustrated sound in defeat as he tried to change the direction of his thoughts. His eyes landed on the jewel entangled in his other hand. Oh right….he was going to have to return this. 

He wondered how many more jewels he was going to have to steal until he found Pandora. He let his mind wander in that direction….thinking about how much work he had ahead of him. Humming a familiar song he found lying somewhere in the depths of his memories, he started planning on how to return the jewel.

He still couldn’t place where he’d heard the song….but it was as though it was always there……the juke box in his father’s workshop perhaps? God knows that machine had a mind of its own….randomly spouting all sorts of music from that enormous stack of discs…..Kaito still hadn’t figured out the mechanism and he was pretty sure it was as booby trapped as other important parts of the workshop if not more…...there were many different pieces he’d never heard before, so he assumed those pieces were personally written and played for his father or requested by the magician. He especially loved a few of the violin ones that were really fun……he could almost feel the moonlight and the thrill of a good heist in those pieces…..almost as though the person who wrote them knew his dad was Kaitou KID. 

But his favourite was a different one….a softer, almost serenading wordless tune…. a calming beacon of hope in times of distress and before he knew it, Kaito had found himself making up words to go with it. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Shinichi had been quietly observing the thief from his hiding place and gathered that KID’s glider and communication devices weren’t functioning. He supposed everyone had bad days….but actually seeing _the_ Kaitou KID having a bad day was still quite the experience. It again hit him that the thief was just human too. While his logical brain scoffed at him _’Of course he’s a human being’_ he felt rather disoriented at the revelation.

And of course, there was the fresh wave of guilt when he realized how his casual prank must have factored into the thief’s day. _’He’s a thief, he deserved it’_ his brain supplied but somehow it sounded like he was trying to justify his behaviour. 

He almost hit his head on the satellite dish when he heard the thief say 

“Shin-chan”

Shit, had he been caught? And why would the thief- Oh it was just his dove. Shinichi relaxed as he peeked below and caught sight of the bird and found himself smiling as he heard the easy banter between the magician and the bird as he tied something to its leg. After it fluttered away to presumably wherever KID’s accomplice was waiting he noticed KID had slid down to sit and was mumbling to himself…the exact words couldn’t be made out and Shinichi couldn’t read his lips from this angle but he did catch a few curses.

Then he noticed KID’s gaze shift to the jewel as KID heaved another sigh and lost himself in his thoughts. What Shinichi hadn’t expected was the soft tune that he hummed while still lost in his thoughts. It was rather calming and KID had a surprisingly nice voice. He had thought KID would suck at singing, but apparently he stood corrected he thought as he listened to the soft voice sing, straining to catch the lyrics.

真のジュエルを追い続け  
どこに辿り着くのだろう  
_Shin no jueru o oi tsuzuke  
Doko ni tadori tsuku no darou_

_As I continue to chase after the true jewel  
I wonder where will it lead me?_

Shinichi inhaled sharply. So KID was looking for a specific jewel after all. He had gathered as much but if what he was singing was true…..the thief himself was searching blindly for a needle in a haystack as well. His only advantage was probably knowing what he was looking for but no idea where it was or how it looks. Shinichi supposed it had something to do with the way KID held up every jewel he stole against the moonlight.

 

いつか手にする真実が  
望んだものと違っても  
正しい道だったと　笑えるかな  
選んだ道を　愛せるかな  
_Itsuka te ni suru shinjitsu ga_  
_Nozonda mono to chigatte mo_  
_Tadashii michi datta to waraeru ka na_  
_Eranda michi o aiseru ka na_

_The truth that I will obtain one day_  
_Even if it is different from what I wished for_  
_Will I be able to laugh that I chose the right path?_  
_Will I be able to love the path I chose?_

Shinichi suddenly felt his heart ache at these words. It reminded him so much of his time as Conan. When he’d been so afraid even when he was close to success. What would happen after that? Would he be able to give proper closure to those around him? Will he be able to overlook the time he had to spend constantly lying to the ones he loved? Would he be able to really be happy after all of it?

And now that he thought about it, while he had been thrilled to be back…he still felt like a stranger. He still felt out of place and somehow the idea of being able to return to Ran didn’t seem as perfect as it did before.

What he had got after all these years was exactly what he wanted yet somehow completely different…..it still left him with a hollow feeling in his chest….  
He would never wish that sort of maddening emptiness upon an enemy….let alone a non-violent thief who was more of a friendly rival than a serious threat. And while he didn’t know what exactly KID was after, he found himself itching with the sudden urge to make sure KID didn’t end up like him..to help him somehow…..which was ridiculous….friendly rivals or no, he wasn’t about to _aid and abet_ an internationally wanted criminal! Was he? 

優しく揺れる月の下で  
強く明日を描いてみる  
どんなに遠く見える夢も  
夢は夢では終われせない  
一人空につぶやくのさ  
_Yasashiku yureru tsuki no shita de_  
_Tsuyoku ashita o egaite miru_  
_Donna ni tōku mieru yume mo_  
_Yume wa yume de wa owaresenai_  
_Hitori sora ni tsubuyaku no sa_

_Under the gently shimmering moon_  
_I draw a strong tomorrow_  
_“No matter how far away of a dream it is,_  
_I won’t let my dream remain only a dream”_  
_I whisper to the lonely sky_

He felt the determination in KID’s voice and began to understand why KID had taken the situation with Conan completely in stride. KID was facing the same sort of problems as he was. He’d instantly related and somehow, without even knowing they were doing so, the two of them had bonded over their situations. 

They both understood it: the pain of having something out of their reach, the frustration of not being able to control the situation, the fear that they might not even live to see the next day, the struggle to overcome that fear and take it upon themselves to assure a place for them in the future, the loneliness that haunted them no matter whom they confided to, because with every confession came the paranoia and guilt of having painted a target upon the back of the one who trusted them.

And most of all the terrifying fear that the one mission they chased with even placing their own safety aside…the one mission they had lost their everything else to….that one mission would end in a failure…..all their hopes and dreams of a safe future shattered in a single instant.

 

誰にも弱さを見せずに  
強い自分を信じてる  
_Dare ni mo yowasa o miezu ni  
Tsuyoi jibun o shinjiteru_

_Hiding my weakness from anyone else  
I believe in my strong self_

He then realised that KID….whoever KID was underneath that mask…..probably had to keep lying to his loved ones as well. Did the thief have anyone to confide in? Did he have anyone to listen to him without having to be worried about his safety? Without being worried about _their_ safety?

He understood how it felt, constantly acting, constantly lying to loved ones to protect them, constantly keeping up a mask in front of everyone else. Shinichi bit his lip as he felt his heart twist and ache.

 

心に決めた道だから  
今更戻れないけれど  
_Kokoro ni kimeta michi dakara  
Imasara modorenai keredo _

_This is the path which I decided upon in my heart  
Though I cannot turn back now_

This…..even though he brought the situation on himself…and there had been opportunities to just give up and flee…to turn back, to give up on his old life…..he hadn’t done so. He _couldn’t_ do so. He had sworn with all his heart to bring the Black down and hadn’t rested until he had achieved his goal.

He wondered if KID was forced into this as well…..he knew the current KID was a successor of the original KID……he was probably seeking to avenge his mentor….by trying to lure out the ones responsible for whatever condition the predecessor was in. And he was doing so by putting his own life on the line….facing off against the hostiles and the police…with the only weapon he had: his mentors mantle as the Kaitou KID.

Stupid thief, he thought somewhat fondly as he realised that the thief was probably more selfless and righteous than he was. He had a personal vendetta against the Black; they had tried to kill him and had harmed him both mentally and physically. KID…..KID on the other hand was ready to lay his life down for someone else. He could have let it be, or tried to approach the police for help and hope……but he had probably taken the responsibility upon himself.

平気な顔をしてさ　強くいても  
自分のことは　騙せないな  
_Heiki na kao o shite sa tsuyoku ite mo  
Jibun no koto wa damasenai na_

_Although I put on an unconcerned face and remain strong  
I cannot deceive myself_

Shinichi stiffened at the memories that those words stirred. Those bleak, dark moments where he found himself having to pretend to be cheerful Edogawa Conan while internally being bone tired of everything. When everyone would smile at his mask and make cheerful conversation while he tried to supress his fears and worries. Everything’s fine, he’d tell his tired self…..only for his brain to spout back a list of reasons as to why everything was most certainly not fine. 

KID may be a master of disguise, but even he couldn’t fool himself into believing everything was fine. How did KID handle all of this without going insane? At least Conan had the law on his side……KID on the other hand was an internationally wanted criminal….just how?

夜空を照らす月を見上げ  
強い自分を描いてみる  
あんなに遠く見える星も  
光はちゃんと届いてるよ  
_Yozora o terasu tsuki o miage_  
_Tsuyoi jibun o egaite miru_  
_Anna ni tōku mieru hoshi mo_  
_Hikari wa chanto todoiteruyo_

_As I look up at the moon that illuminates the night sky,_  
_I paint myself in a strong light_  
_Even if the stars seem so far away_  
_Their light will definitely reach_

Shinichi chuckled dryly in his mind, Moonlight’s Magician indeed…..weaving intricate strands into a masterful tapestry that painted the thief in all his quixotic glory while simultaneously hiding the flesh and blood human heart that thrummed underneath that garish white suit.

KID was a shining star…..one that had been far away from Conan’s reach yet never stopped to shine his light to brighten Conan’s dark world.

強く信じること　強く願うことで  
明日は今日より輝くから  
_Tsuyoku shinjiru koto tsuyoku negau koto de  
Ashita wa kyō yori kagayaku kara_

_By believing strongly and wishing with all my strength  
Tomorrow, I will shine brighter than today_

_What do you wish for KID? What do you hold on to? Is it as fragile as what I had to hold?_  
Shinichi thought as he remembered how all his hopes and dreams of a future with Ran had long faded away during his time as Conan. When Ran had moved on, it had been the final blow which made him want to just let go and fall…..

To be or not to be? He had thought bitterly that night sitting on the Detective Agency’s roof. Then his answer had arrived in a soft flutter of a dove’s wings.

A white card….an invitation to play…..addressed to Kudo Shinichi

Then he had attended the heist that week and the next one and the one after that….Even as Conan, he never felt the need to restrain himself when it came to KID…..At those heists he was free, free to run, to chase, to talk, to dance in a battle of wits, to cuss, to scream, to laugh, to win, to lose, to just…be….

He found something to hope for, something to wish for….even if it was wiping the smug smirk of an international criminal off his stupidly smug face. Somewhere along the line, the quiet whisper of “I can’t wait to get my old body back and be with Ran” had changed into the annoyed yell of “You just wait till I get my body back you damn thief!”

And now, Shinichi decided, it was his turn to hold out a hand. His turn to invite the thief to play his game. 

優しく光る月の下で  
いつも背中を追いかけてる  
どんなに遠く見える夢も  
いつか必ず掴んで見せる  
一人心に誓うのさ  
_Yasashiku hikaru tsuki no shita de_  
_Itsumo senaka o oikaketeru_  
_Donna ni tōku mieru yume mo_  
_Itsuka kanarazu tsukande miseru_  
_Hitori kokoro ni chikau no sa_

_Under the gently shining moon_  
_I am always chasing after my dream_  
_No matter how far away it seems,_  
_One day I will definitely grasp it_  
_Just like I promised….._

A promise? Looks like KID had taken this role up on personal conviction after all. He wondered for whom was it that KID gave his word. Then he decided that was for KID to tell. KID sighed as he got up and paced back and forth….probably waiting for his dove to return, now that he no longer had that song to distract him.

He felt surprised that inspite of chasing after his own dreams and hopes, the thief still had been worried about him….to the point of dropping his mask and completely letting his guard down in front of Shinichi when he managed to confirm that the detective was safe and sound. 

Did Shinichi really mean that much to the thief?

Then again, he realized if it was KID who needed help, if KID disappeared, Shinichi wouldn’t hesitate to do his very best to look for him, to help him, to save him…..no matter how tied down his hands were under the circumstances…..no matter how reckless the solution…even if he would have been stuck as Conan.....after all he would do the same for Ran....

Oh….

He _loved_ KID.

Shinichi gripped the legs of the satellite dish as he allowed that to sink in. He didn’t…he couldn’t even begin to list out the number of things that were weird about that sentence. The fact that KID was male wasn’t a bother to him….but he did find it a bit surprising considering he had never been into guys before. Except, that was probably the _least_ concerning reason his brain could come up with on why falling in love with KID was a stupid thing to do. The rest ranging from ‘Internationally wanted criminal’ to ‘What if he doesn’t feel the same way about me?’ Shinichi then realized it probably said something about how far gone he was if the ‘criminal’ part was less of a concern to him than the fear of rejection.

Shinichi shook his head and decided to file this away for later consideration. Right now, he owed the Phantom Thief an apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone's wondering, the song is Hoshizora Illusion sung by none other than our Gekka no Kijitsushi. It is one of the songs from Magic Kaito 1412's Magical Pallet Collection. Here's a link to the video that I used to cross check my own translation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_pTyjk6c_A  
> While most of the vid's lyrics were fine, I altered the places where it didn't quite come across right or didn't fit as well as I would like for it to....


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the super late update

Kaito stood up, restless as he waited for his dove to return. He quickly switched to reconnaissance blacks from his white suit before risking walking upto the edge of the building to check for any sign of Shin-chan. Jii-chan was sure taking his time today.

Suddenly he felt movement behind him. How?! He had checked the whole- the entrance’s roof with the satellite dishes….shit . He turned around to spot Kudo Shinichi leaning against the door casually….wearing the disguise Kaito had ditched earlier.

“KID” the detective said casually, as though he was meeting up with an acquaintance for coffee. 

Kaito inhaled sharply. He didn't dare move a muscle, before finally eking out, “ How long have you been here?”

Kudo coughed awkwardly, “ A while”

Kaito could die of embarrassment. Did the detective hear him sing?! Poker Face. Remember your Poker Face.

“So….what brings you here Meitantei- _san_?”

He saw Kudo flinch at the ‘-san’  
Good, keep it neutral. His brain was already calculating all the possibilities of escape and counting the number of sleeping gas pellets he had left.

Kudo had a guilty expression as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I...I wanted to apologize”

“Listen Meitantei-” Kaito began then paused. He stared blankly at Kudo, “I'm sorry could you repeat yourself? I thought you just said you wanted to apologize… to me?”

Kudo glared at him, then sighed, “Your hearing is fine….that is exactly what I said. I'm sorry I made you worry so much. I didn't think….I thought you wouldn't really ….care?” 

Kaito gaped at the detective. He sighed,”Meitantei how can you be so dense?”

The other teen sputtered in offense, “Excuse me?! I-”

Kaito cut him off, “ Meitantei, oh god Meitantei, I call you my favourite critic, I sometimes forego taking the gem with me and still consider it a success as long as I get to see you smile, I chat with you almost every heist, I trusted you with one of my most precious doves, I almost got blown up on a train dressing up as a lady who is supposed to be dead, I jumped off a skyscraper and an airship to save your life and _yOU THINK I DON’T CARE?!_ ” 

Kaito glared at Shinichi who looked a surprised at the sudden outburst of emotion. Well, shit. So much for his Poker Face. 

Shinichi had the decency to look embarrassed, “I said I'm sorry….I’m...sorry” he trailed off as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, “ I'm really not good at handling situations like this….and I’d really like to make up for it”

Kaito resisted the urge to laugh. Make it up to him?! No matter how lenient Kudo was when it came to him, there was no way-

“Let me help you look for this jewel your looking for!” Kudo blurted out.

Kaito looked at the earnest and determined expression that Kudo had and found himself stumped. Why? Why does he want to help me?

“Meitantei-”

“Shinichi” Kudo interrupted, “I mean...we've known each other long enough…”

Kaito was tempted to spit back that the detective didn't really know him but that wouldn't be true….knowingly or unknowingly, they had a lot in common and had bonded over the course of all this time. 

Also damn, the detective was looking like a kicked puppy. Kudo wasn’t the sort of person who readily slipped into such familiar tone with casual acquaintances….from what he knew, aside from his own direct family, few people had the privilege of calling the detective by his given name. 

And here he was offering that precious sign of trust on a silver platter… to him, to Kaitou KID, an internationally wanted criminal. And Kaito could tell he was being sincere. Kaito softened a bit at that. He gave the detective a look from underneath the baseball cap that conveyed ‘don't-think-I'll-take-this-as-an-apology’ and caught the almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgement the detective returned. 

“As long as you don’t expect my name in return…..Shinichi”, he said testing the way the name felt on his tongue, surprised when his rival flinched and looked away at the sound of his own name. 

_Make up your mind, you idiot detective_ Kaito thought and almost missed Shinichi’s huffed retort of, “Of course not, stupid thief”

 _Hey, you’re the idiot here!_ he thought indignantly before the detective’s offer completely registered in his brain….

_Help me look for jewels? As in….aid and abet? The Heisei Holmes is willing to do what?!_

Outwardly, Kaito only blinked, “Alright, what’s the catch?”

Shinichi frowned, “What catch?”

Kaito was starting to feel more irritated. Did Shinichi think he would be tricked so easily? He didn’t think the detective would stoop so low to catch him. No….he _knew_ the detective would never stoop so low as to pretend to offer help to catch him. 

_Then why?! Why was he doing this?_

He strode forward towards the detective, his pitch black loafers loud against the concrete, hands tucked in his pockets, his graceful gait and a thin veil of lethal confidence hiding his inner disarray of thoughts.

Kaito didn’t know exactly what expression he had on his face, but whatever it was it made Shinichi inhale sharply and back into the metal door. Kaito noticed his left hand creeping towards the handle and covered the remaining space between him and the detective in two long strides. He slammed a gloved hand against the door, causing Shinichi to start and look up at him again, handle forgotten, his lips open in a soundless gasp.

It was then that Kaito noticed how close they were. Shinichi’s bangs becoming more unruly as the brim of the black cap pressed into his forehead, his blue,blue eyes wide with surprise at the sudden invasion of his space, his lips moving as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t find his voice. Kaito noticed the remains of eyeliner lining those unfairly long lashes and some stubborn traces of cherry blossom pink lipstick settled in the grooves of the lips.

Kaito shook himself mentally and tried to look at the detective in the eye again…only to have Shinichi hurriedly averting his gaze and blush a delightful shade of red. Ignoring the thrumming of his own heart at the sight, Kaito slowly slid down the hand that was against the door and curled his fingers around the detective’s wrist, two fingers resting at his pulse. 

Before Shinichi could react to that, Kaito let his other hand reach for Shinichi’s face, strong fingers gently but firmly holding his chin and tilting his head to meet his gaze.  
“Shinichi”, Kaito said, using KID’s silky caressing tone. He felt his own heart stop for a moment when he felt Shinichi’s pulse begin to race and saw his blush deepen.

_Could it be that…..No…there’s no way Shinichi was….no…after all he had Ran….why.._

“Why do you want to help me? Why? I don’t believe you’d be so cruel as to bait me into a dirty trap like this….and I feel your words are genuine. But I also don’t believe it is some form of apology for the little prank you played on me earlier today. So tell me….why would you want to help me? A sneak thief, a liar and a criminal?”

Shinichi’s blue eyes glittered with indecision as he held Kaito’s gaze. Kaito could feel his pulse hammering away at his fingertips. Then he felt the sapphire blue eyes harden with resolve before Shinichi’s free hand clutched at the fabric of his black turtleneck and before Kaito could process what was going on, he was tugged forward sharply and a soft pair of lips were pressed against his.

The kiss was tentative and inexperienced, Kaito’s baseball hat fell off and his monocle dug into his nose painfully.

It was perfect.

Shinichi’s lips were warm and still tasted of the lemon flavoured mini-pastries that were being served to the guests as refreshments at the party below, the mild smell of the perfume from his earlier disguise lingered and mixed with Shinichi’s own unique coffee and library scent. And while Kaito’s eyes were wide open in surprise, Shinichi’s eyes were shut firmly, his eyebrows scrunching in the cutest way as he focused on kissing Kaito.

Before Kaito could bring himself to return the sudden kiss, Shinichi pulled away.

“That’s why.” Shinichi said softly.

“Huh?” Kaito asked intelligently, still dazed from the kiss.

“You asked me why I wanted to help you so badly, didn’t you?” Shinichi said, then after a bit of hesitation, “You were there for me when I was Conan. I could only ever truly be myself around you, I always feel safe if it’s you at my back, I trust you….and now I want to be here for you. I can’t stand by and do nothing when there might be someone trying to hurt you…I….can’t…”

He paused, and taking a deep breath, he said his next words in a heartbreakingly tender tone, “I love you”

Kaito was amazed by Shinichi’s confession. He felt happiness bubble from within him when he heard those words. Shinichi had suddenly ducked down to pick up the fallen baseball cap and was now dusting it nervously as he steadily turned a deeper shade of red and continued rambling, “I can’t believe I just said…I.. understand if you don’t return my feelings…I mean it is a bit sudden…oh god…I shouldn’t have…”

Kaito gently pried the cap from Shinichi’s hand and shushed his nervous chatter with one finger against his lips.

“Shinichi, calm down.”, he used his real voice this time, causing Shinichi to stop looking away and stare at him as he spoke, his voice fond, “I love you too, you stupid detective”

Shinichi looked as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Then slowly, a genuine smile tugged at his lips as he tried to sound angry but failed and ended up sounding fond, “Stupid thief”

Kaito just grinned in response and the two of them stood like that for a moment before Shinichi seemed to have remembered something. He raised a tentative hand for Kaito’s monocle, pausing as if to ask for permission.

Kaito felt nervousness take hold of him. He nodded his assent and allowed Shinichi’s hand to gently pry the monocle away. He felt the detective’s gaze focus on him, assessing him and he waited for a verdict.

“Is it too early to ask for a name?” Shinichi finally asked.

Kaito’s grin grew wider as he took a step back and sketched a bow, “Not at all” he held out his hand and a red rose appeared with a poof of pink smoke. 

“Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire~”

Shinichi rolled his eyes at the theatrics but accepted the rose nonetheless. 

“Well then, Kuroba-san-“

“Uh uh” Kaito cut him off, “it’s Kaito”

“Kaito,” he amended, “what now?”

“Well I’d like to trade stories and- “Kaito was considering his options when both their stomachs let out a loud growl. Both of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. 

“Dinner first then.” Kaito mused, “I found this lovely restaurant a couple of blocks away from here while casing the heist location. It has private booths so we can talk without worrying about being overheard”

He saw Shinichi open his mouth to say something then suddenly change whatever he was going to say as he noticed something behind Kaito, “Your dove!”

Before Kaito could turn around, the dove was at his shoulder, cooing and holding out her leg with a tied message. 

“Shin-chan!” Kaito exclaimed as he undid the message and read it. Jii-chan had sent instructions to wait at the back entrance of the building.

Jii-chan had gone through so much…he deserved a break. Besides, with Shinichi he was sure he could make it out fine. After confirming the same with Shinichi, he borrowed his phone to let him know he’ll be fine and meet up with him tomorrow. That issue out of the way, he made disappearing his dove into a mini-production (“Your hat” Shinichi said without missing a beat causing Kaito to pout). He changed into a mix of his recon and usual outfit: blue dress shirt , black pants and black loafers. He removed any traces of makeup and put away the blue contact lenses. Then he opened the door and turned to Shinichi with his hand held out, “Shall we, detective?”

Shinichi was staring at him. 

“Is there something on my face?” Kaito asked, frowning a bit.

Shinichi shook himself, “Ah no…it’s….your eyes…”

 _Oh right…I was wearing contacts all along_ Kaito thought

“What of them?” he asked grinning as he guided them to the elevator. 

“They’re gorgeous” Shinichi said and Kaito blushed. 

“Shinichi darling!” Kaito exclaimed with a dramatic swoon as the elevator doors dinged open, “you say the sweetest things!”

Shinichi rolled his eyes as he walked in, “Drama queen”

Kaito grinned as he pulled another rose out of thin air and tucked it behind Shinichi’s ear, “You love it”

Shinichi smiled in spite of himself, “Yes, yes I do”

Kaito grinned and as the elevator doors silently slid shut, he leaned in to give his new boyfriend ( _boyfriend!_ ) a proper kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for now...unless I write some omake or something....  
> Thanks for reading!  
>  _Bows_


End file.
